One gas station worker shot, others assaulted in robberies, authorities say
HACKENSACK -- Five men and a 17-year-old boy were arrested after a months-long probe into an armed robbery spree that included the shooting of a gas station worker and beatings of two other attendants, Bergen County authorities said Wednesday.
David Thomas Jr., 21, of Lodi, Louis Rendon, 18, of Moonachie, Cainan Samuels-Wallace, 18, of Lodi, Jordyn Moses, 19, of Lodi, the 17-year-old from Moonachie, and Chaz Q. Johnson, 20, of Orlando, Florida, were charged with robbery-related offenses.
"The arrests marked the end of an armed robbery crime spree committed throughout Bergen County since 2014...and included 12 armed robberies and attempted armed robberies, as well as the shooting of a gas station attendant in June 2014 in Ridgefield Park, and the brutal assaults of two gas station employees in Teaneck in May 2014 and in Garfield in January 2016," Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement.
Authorities captured Thomas Jr., Rendon and the juvenile as the three were on their way to commit more armed holdups in southern Bergen County on Jan. 21, the prosecutor said. Searches turned up masks, gloves and an "imitation firearm."
In addition to nine armed robbery counts, Thomas Jr. faces an attempted murder charge for the Ridgefield Park gas station shooting, according to the prosecutor's office. After shooting the attendant in the chest, the robber went through his pockets in the June 9, 2014 holdup, the statement said.
The worker survived his injuries after having surgery, according to police.
Authorities said they launched an investigation in April 2014 after six armed robberies at Delta gas stations within about three months in Teaneck, Garfield, East Rutherford, Wallington and Ridgefield Park.
In each case, the robber asked a service station worker for change of either a $20 or $50 bill, police said. When the employee made change, the assailant pulled a gun and demanded money.
The robber pistol-whipped a gas station attendant in one holdup at a Delta station in Teaneck on May 12, 2014, according to authorities.
In November 2015, the case continued and detectives identified Thomas Jr. as a suspect in the robbery spree and two additional holdups at Lodi convenience stores, Grewal added.
In three cases, Thomas Jr. wore the same clothing, the prosecutor said. He also matched descriptions from witnesses and images from security camera footage. Detectives noted their suspect had the same scar above his right eye, according to Grewal.
The prosecutor's office released the following list of charges in connection the holdups:
March, 24, 2014: Thomas Jr. and Johnson are charged with an armed robbery at a Delta Gas Station in Teaneck.
April 20, 2014: Thomas Jr. and Johnson allegedly attempted to commit an armed robbery at a Delta Gas Station in Wallington.
April 20, 2014, Thomas Jr. and Johnson are accused of an armed robbery at a Delta Gas Station in East Rutherford.
May 12, 2014: Thomas Jr. and Johnson allegedly committed an armed robbery at a Delta Gas Station located in Teaneck. Thomas Jr. is also accused of assaulting the gas station attendant.
May 19, 2014: Thomas Jr. and Johnson are charged with armed robbery at a Delta Gas Station located in Garfield.
June 9, 2014: Thomas Jr. and Johnson allegedly committed an armed robbery at a Delta Gas Station in Ridgefield Park. Thomas Jr. is also accused of shooting the gas station worker in the chest.
July 8, 2015: Thomas Jr. and Moses allegedly committed an armed robbery using a "modified firearm" at a 7-Eleven located in Lodi.
November 17, 2015: Thomas Jr. is accused of committing an armed robbery using a "modified firearm" at Rafi's Corner Store in Lodi.
December 26, 2015: Thomas Jr. and the 17-year-old boy, whose name was not released because of his age, allegedly committed an armed robbery using a modified firearm at the Sunoco Gas Station in Carlstadt.
January 4, 2016: Thomas Jr. and the 17-year-old boy allegedly attempted to commit an armed robbery with an imitation firearm at Linden Grocery in Hackensack.
January 11, 2016: Thomas Jr and Samuels-Wallace allegedly committed an armed robbery using an imitation firearm at a Shell Gas Station in Carlstadt. Thomas Jr. is also accused of assaulting the service station worker.
January 21, 2016: Thomas Jr., Rendon and the 17-year-old boy allegedly attempted to commit an armed holdup in Carlstadt.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.